2 Free Nights on us: Ngorongoro & Serengeti

Serengeti Wilderness Camps

9 Day / 8 Night

SAVE USD 1260 per person when travelling in GREEN SEASON

Escape to some of the last few expanses of true wilderness and arguably some of the best game viewing areas on the continent, as we visit 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

SAVE with this excellent value package that includes 2 FREE nights at our Serengeti Wilderness Camp.

You will be collected from your hotel in Arusha before heading up through the beautiful highlands to the rich farming area of Karatu on the outer slopes of Ngorongoro crater, where we overnight at Bougainvillea Lodge.

Day 2:

Breathtaking, incredible, unforgettable – today is surely one you’ve been itching to tick off your Wildlife Bucket List. One of the natural wonders of the world, the volcanic caldera of Ngorongoro offers spectacular game viewing in the crater – we can almost guarantee you four of the Big Five will show up, as well as a rich variety of birds, all viewed against the backdrop of the thickly forested crater walls. Our picnic lunch in the crater will forever remain a unique memory – good luck beating this view on your next picnic!

Varied terrains consisting of forest, grasslands and both freshwater and soda lakes make this a true marvel of creation.

Our route onto the Serengeti takes us via fascinating Olduvai Gorge and the ‘cradle of humankind’. It’s here where, in 1959, the ground-breaking discovery of a hominid (human-like) skull dating back 1.8 million years preceeded other more recent hominid remains discoveries – dating as far back as 3.7 million years.

We continue onto Serengeti Wilderness Camp to settle in for the evening.

Days 3-8: Serengeti

Relax with six full days in the Serengeti – unequalled for its beauty and home to more than three million large mammals spread over the vast endless plains. It is here, at certain times of the year, that we may encounter the breathtaking spectacle of the annual wildebeest migration, where one and a quarter million wildebeest trek in columns of up to forty kilometres long in search of grazing, drawing with them their predators and numerous other species of game. From January to March the herds can largely be found in the southern area, proceeding north through the centre and Western Corridor during June and July before splitting to the west and north, continuing their way toward the Mara River. They return south in November to repeat this amazing instinctive procession all over again.

It really is a rare privilege to immerse yourself in the unique natural phenomena of this Great Migration.

Huge herds of wildebeest and zebra can be found here along with smaller concentrations of Thomson’s gazelle, Grant’s gazelle, impala, kongoni, Kirk’s dik dik, klipspringer and small numbers of roan, oryx, oribi, eland and waterbuck. There are also significant numbers of buffalo, giraffe and warthog. Elephants are relatively scarce on the open plains, and more common in the northern areas and the western corridor. The few remaining black rhinos are restricted to a small part of the park and are not often spotted. But the most popular animals to be found here in greater abundance than elsewhere on the northern circuit are the cats.

Lions, cheetahs and leopard may all be seen here along with other predators, such as the spotted hyena, golden and black-backed jackals, wild cats and servals.

Overnight Serengeti Wilderness Camp.

Balloon safari

Treat yourself to an adventure words fail to capture, as you soar effortlessly above the vast plains in a hot air balloon – an added optional extra well worth spoiling yourself with. This is one story you will brag about for years to come!

Day 9: ArushaTransfer to the Seronera airstrip for your (optional extra) flight to Arusha – mid morning. It is an exceptionally scenic flight (weather dependent) over the highlands of Ngorongoro, across the vast expanse of the Rift Valley escarpments. Or return by road to Arusha. (a long and bumpy ride!)

If you are not flying out tonight, but overnighting in Arusha, we highly recommend heading out to Mosque Street. Here, you will find probably the best chicken in Africa (we will phone in your order the day before – to be sure…) Relax, eat, meet the locals … real people.

A uniquely authentic optional extra:

You may have heard of Khan’s first as “Chicken in the Ditch”, or “Chicken on the Bonnet”, “Kuku on the Curb”, or “That place by Soko Kuu with the fantastic chicken”, or “Zubeda Autospares by Day, Khan’s Chicken BBQ by Night”.

In every town there are a few gems – delightful places off the beaten path that give you a sense of the soul of the town. Khan’s is undoubtedly one of the key gems in Arusha, and while it’s definitely been discovered, it’s still the real deal. Tasty salads, Zanzibar pizzas, garlic naan, barbecued chicken, beef mishkaki and mutton shish kabob are all stars. Even the passion juice is top notch. But Khan’s serves up more than an evening out – it’s the kind of place that you’ll always remember when you think of Arusha.

Another memorable spot is the “Lively Lady Bar and Grill “, down by the old train station, where the ambience is great (best pork chops ever), drinks icy, and, 1960’s ROCK AND ROLL is played … loudly!

However you end off your African Adventure with us, your journey through Tanzania will forever remain a huge highlight along the journey of your life.

Price Includes:

Accommodation at quality lodges and tented camp as set out above

All meals on safari

Game viewing activities as indicated

Services of a driver/guide, support crew and cook as appropriate

Bottled water for game drives / in vehicle (not at hotels/lodges)

Maximum seven guests in a vehicle – all WITH WINDOW SEATS – no ‘middle’ seats

Charging facilities: There are charging facilities at the lodges/camps as well as on in our Wild Frontiers’ safari vehicles for camera batteries, mobile phones etc. Two-pin plugs as well as the round three-square pin plug points.

Weather: Tanzania is a land without winter. Temperatures in northern Tanzania range between 15-21C during the day and 4-10C at night, from May to October. From November to March the daytime temperature varies from 21-32C and from 15-23C at night. However, if you are travelling to high altitude areas like Ngorongoro Crater and Kilimanjaro, of course the temperature drops substantially.

Our guide for the first part of the tour, Joseph Mutebi, was outstanding. In addition to being a very safe driver, he was very attentive to our needs and made us feel most welcome in Uganda from the first moment we stepped out of the airport arrivals hall. He has an exceptionally sharp eye for spotting birds (and other wildlife), and a keen ear for bird calls as well. He was very patient and proficient in helping us to locate and see what he had spotted, and he could identify the birds as quickly and accurately as the local guides (even with their specialized local knowledge). We had a nice birding rhythm and a great tour with Joseph, and we were very sorry when we had to say goodbye to him midway through our tour. We have travelled extensively in southern and eastern Africa, and we can honestly say that Joseph is one of the finest guides we have encountered.

Mr Lund

Mr Lund (Uganda – exceptionally sharp eye for spotting birds)

I’m just back from a great trip to Botswana. We had a wonderful time. The accommodations were first class, the transports were seamless, and we saw a lot of animals. Thank you for all your work putting the itinerary together and making the reservations.

Catherine

Catherine Griffith (Wonderfull Botswana trip)

We want to thank you for the wonderful itinerary that you developed for us last week in Botswana and Zimbabwe. We enjoyed each area and all that they had to offer. But, we had to admit that our favorite was Moremi Crossing. The people, food, accomodations and activities were delightful, personable and relaxing.

Again, many thanks for making our African experience so memorable.

Sincerely Ed and Elizabeth Griffith

Ed and Elizabeth Griffith (Botswana & Zimbabwe Safari)

Hi I just wanted to tell you that we stayed at your Serengeti Wilderness Camp, and it was just terrific. It was a great blend of simple and rustic, but still comfortable. Mostly, I wanted to compliment the staff. They were all very professional and saw to our every need. And highest marks must go to your amazing chef. I wish we could have stayed long enough to try every menu. If he opened a restaurant in Los Angeles, people would flock to it! So thank you so much! I have relatives planning to come to Tanzania in the fall- do you have your rates for that time set? It would be two couples in two separate tents.

Thanks so much! Joe Correll

Joe Correll (Terrific stay at Serengeti Wilderness Camp)

It was nothing short of amazing. There was sooooooo much about the trip and country that amazed us, we were totally impressed. The serengeti lived up to it’s reputation for viewing and the crater – “WOW”!! – at one stage I turned to Syd and said “I think this is what the garden of Eden was like” it is definately one thing that should go on everyone’s bucket list.

Lauraine Reese

Lauraine Reese (Serengeti Adventure)

Thank you for following up. We had a wonderful time on our safari! Our guide, John Lantara was excellent, the accommodations were great, and generally the food was quite good. They gave us far too much food, we were stuffed by the end. I’m surprised our flight from Serengeti could get off the ground 🙂